These findings echo a theme I’ve discussed before: when systems feel distant, people fill the gap with alternative narratives, often conspiratorial ones. It’s not just about distrust, misinformation, or polarization. It’s also about disconnection, and disconnection is something we can change.

Psychological distance creates a vacuum, and conspiracy theories quickly rush in to fill it. This pattern reflects what we see in the real world, where many people feel alienated from major institutions, perceive decisions as opaque or controlled by elites, and view political processes as irrelevant to their daily lives. In that environment, conspiratorial explanations can feel more natural and intuitive.